"Welcome to Russellville," they say. "We're glad to have you in our community."

"Well, thank you, and I'm glad to be here," I reply.

The above conversation with minor variations has reoccurred several times since I have moved to the Arkansas River Valley, and I expect it to keep on happening. Through e-mails, phone calls and face-to-face encounters, this community could not have been more welcoming to my family. I've also had some correspondence with readers about different concerns they have about The Courier's coverage.

A couple conversations or e-mails began somewhat hostile but simmered down and turned out to be productive meetings of the minds. Listening to feedback from our readers is crucial to making The Courier the best it can be. Our staff is extremely talented and together we will make The Courier the best hometown newspaper in the state and maybe the country. Those are our goals, but it won't happen overnight. It will take a responsive readership, a team effort from the staff, along with solid and sound reporting focused in covering the River Valley like a glove.

If you need to know about it, we consider it our job to get the news to you in a timely and objective manner, therefore you can decide on the issues for yourself. We will be the watchdog for several issues and especially when it comes to tax payers' money. Following the money trail is a service we owe to our readers. If you spend money on a subscription or buy a single copy of The Courier, I think you deserve to see where your hard-earned taxes are ending up. Every issue might not feature a story concerning tax dollars, but if it is in the news, you can count on The Courier. We might miss a few opportunities here and there but with an active readership, we'll catch the ones that fall through the cracks or the ones that any governing body tries to sneak passed us. The Opinions page is the exception to the journalistic rule. I and other staff members will use this space to shed light on touchy topics from time to time. Some of us will take strong stances on local, state and national issues - opinions you might not agree with, while sometimes we might share thoughts that are exactly what you think. The backbone of this page runs in line with the backbone of this great country. Our roots are seeded in freedom especially freedom of speech. The Courier's Opinions page will serve as an open forum for staffers to share opinions and readers to interact with the community and fellow readers. We all don't have to agree - we can respectively beg to differ. Being different in a free and democratic society is what makes America the best place to live.

A few people have asked me why I haven't dove off into certain issues between the city and the county. I will jump in the public arena and offer my two cents, but first I like to identify the good and the bad. You can be sure when I get settled, I will always call them like I see them. Drive safely tonight, and don't drink and drive. Happy New Year.